Zumba Fitness- are the suggested "calories burned" accurate

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Bailey00030
Bailey00030 Posts: 30 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi everyone. I am using Zumba Fitness as my main form of workout during the winter months. I find the suggested "calories burned" in MFP to be extremely high. Does anyone have experience with this? I want to be as accurate as possible. Thanks!

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  • fivelongmiles
    fivelongmiles Posts: 54 Member
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    I tend to log that sort of thing as Aerobics - General which gives me about 100 calories less burned and has worked out alright for me so far! So I'd say the Zumba one is maybe a bit too high?
  • jjpptt2
    jjpptt2 Posts: 5,650 Member
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    There isn't really any way to know for sure. Ultimately, you'll have to use MFP's numbers for a while, then compare your actual results (weight loss/gain) to your expected results. If they are close, then the numbers are accurate enough. If not, then you'll have to tweak something in how you log/estimate.

    Some of us have had great luck with MFP's numbers/estimates. Others haven't. Unfortunately there's some trial and error (a learning curve) when getting started that most everyone has to go through.
  • Mrs181
    Mrs181 Posts: 36 Member
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    I've found it to be a bit high. If you're doing a 60 minute-class, I would log it as 40-45 minutes.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I like the idea of using the aerobics calorie burn. Zumba can be executed in a range of energy levels.

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  • Marykaylady2010
    Marykaylady2010 Posts: 69 Member
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    The calories you burn are directly effected by how intensely your doing the exercise.
  • Idontcareyoupick
    Idontcareyoupick Posts: 2,831 Member
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    Mrs181 wrote: »
    I've found it to be a bit high. If you're doing a 60 minute-class, I would log it as 40-45 minutes.

    This is mine as well. I usually log it as 35 mins which gives me 550 calories. I'm fairly certain I'm not burning 1000 which is what regular time gives me
  • NoxeemaJackson
    NoxeemaJackson Posts: 102 Member
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    I do jazzercise and have also done Zumba.
    I started weight at 237 and now I am 212 - I log jazzercise for 60 minutes at 500 calories.
    From the best I can tell from online calculators, I am actually burning somewhere in the 600 calorie range.
    So, obviously, the calories burned depends on your weight, but I can tell you a 60 minute jazzercise or Zumba class, if you are in the weight rannge of 237-212, logging 500 calories burned has so far seemed pretty accurate for me
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
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    I only give myself the calories I plan on eating back. For a 1 hr class (which includes the cool down) I give myself 200-250 calories depending on how much effort I feel I put in. I will eat 100% of those back. Some people would rather put in 400 calories and eat back half. It comes to the same effect.
  • lucerorojo
    lucerorojo Posts: 790 Member
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    I've always used the mfp calorie burns for exercise. I do Zumba 1-3 times a week, as well as walking, swimming and stationary bike. I usually eat back all my exercise calories so it has been accurate for me as I've been steadily losing.
  • dananikki
    dananikki Posts: 4 Member
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    447 calories for 90 minutes of pure energy fun and friends love Zumba
  • Mr_Knight
    Mr_Knight Posts: 9,532 Member
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    Bailey00030 wrote: »
    Hi everyone. I am using Zumba Fitness as my main form of workout during the winter months. I find the suggested "calories burned" in MFP to be extremely high. Does anyone have experience with this? I want to be as accurate as possible. Thanks!

    Unless you are in exceptional shape, almost certainly they are a significant over-estimate.
  • dananikki
    dananikki Posts: 4 Member
    edited February 2018
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    As a Zumba instructor it really will depend on your level of intensity if you are using arm motions and jumping you will increase the amount of calories I start off with the modified version then go full out but either way you are doing good and can eventually work up your stamina to a higher intensity level
  • tess5036
    tess5036 Posts: 942 Member
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    I use a myzone belt, (with a HRM), and my average calorie burn is estimated at about 440 for an hour (I do go all out thought, arms, jumping etc).
  • DebLaBounty
    DebLaBounty Posts: 1,172 Member
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    MFP is accurate enough for me. I just ate back about 50% of the calories I earned doing Zumba and lost weight.
  • firef1y72
    firef1y72 Posts: 1,579 Member
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    I weigh 148lb (5'2" 46yo female) am pretty fit and burn around 350-400 Calories in a 45 minute Zumba class depending on which songs we're doing (some are a lot more jumpy). As well as your owns stats Calorie burn depends very much on the instructor, the songs and the how much movement there is. The instructor in the classes I go to is extremely high energy, there's lots of jumping in the choreography and then I also throw myself in to it (we're all at different levels from those that can't jump at all to those that can do everything). I did do a class with a far more sedate instructor and only burnt around 300 Calories in the same timescale.

    *I've been using a fitbit to calculate Calorie burns and it's been pretty accurate both through the 142lb weight loss and maintaining for 5 months.

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